COMPULSORY UNIONISM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19376, 14 July 1937, Page 8

COMPULSORY UNIONISM

OBJECTIONS OVER-RULED APPLICATION P.Y CHURCH OONSCIENTiOUS (IROFNDS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. Objection to being added as a party to the Dominion shop assistants’ dispute was raised unsuccessfully on behalf of the New Zealand conference of the Seventh Day Adventists of Auckland, when the hearing of a dispute was commenced in the Conciliation Council. The point turned on the sale of books and other literature by the organisation. “The Seventh Day Adventist Church, as a denomination, holds conscientious objections to compulsory clauses in the Industrial Conciliation ;ind Arbitration Amendment Act, 1936. feeling that the same Christian principles which caused us to declare ourselves non-combatants in national warfare, prevents our taking sides with either the employer or the employee in what might become industrial warfare,” stated a letter read by the Conciliation Commissioner. “We believe that it is our duty to live at peace with all men.” The letter pointed out that the organisation did not operate a retail book depot. The commissioner said it seemed that the consensus of opinion was against the application and the organisation was regarded as coming within the definition of an ordinary trader. He hoped that satisfactory arrangements would ho made to meet conscientious objections of employees.